McEwen Ave. residents raise alarms over state of apartment building after being told to return home

Residents at an apartment building on McEwen Ave. are cleared to return home, but some say safety issues persist. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

Residents at 30 McEwen Ave. in Ottawa’s west end are starting to return home after being told they can come back, but many continue to have serious concerns over the state of the building.

The Canada Day storm that brought 118 mm of rain to Ottawa flooded their basement and caused a major power outage in the building. The company told residents who left that they could return to their homes on Friday.

Residents were not required to move out, but those who voluntarily vacated were provided temporary accommodations by the City of Ottawa.

Some residents who came home describe a concerning smell coming from the basement reaching up through many floors of the 25-storey building. They say some lights don’t work and that hot water has not been restored on certain floors.

Kate Hotte, who lives on the 25^th floor, says she received a call on Thursday saying that they were able to return to the building and that temporary accommodations would end on Friday.

But Hotte does not think residents should be returning if they aren’t choosing to.

“It’s not habitable. It’s not livable. It’s unsafe,” said Hotte.

She says certain lights don’t turn on in her apartment, and water damage coming through the ceiling of her top floor apartment has a smell of mould. She also had previous water damage issues that were made worse when the storm hit, leaving cracks in the ceiling.

She says her neighbours have multiple appliances that aren’t working.

“To leave the hotel I was excited,” she said. “I said, ‘that’s it I can come home. We have 100 per cent power. Everything is going to be okay.’ And now we came home, I feel defeated. We cannot live here.”

Saickley Enterprises, the owners of the property, did not respond to a request for comment.

“There is still a lot of work to be done to have the building back to normal but as of now there are no outstanding Ontario Fire Code issues preventing re-occupancy,” the company said in a letter sent to residents,” the company said in a letter to residents Friday.

“Due to the lack of hot water, residents on floors two to eight are not required to return to their units, but they are free to go home if they choose to do so.”

The elevator has to stop at the fourth floor, and residents must climb down the stairs to leave the building. There is no access to the lobby, second and third floors. In a separate letter to residents, Saickley Enterprises states that the decision was made out of an abundance of caution due to a report by an environmental engineer and a directive from their insurance company.

Phillip Latrielle lives on the 16^th floor and worries about the loss of the elevator on some residents.

“What about people with mobility issues?” he asks.

Latrielle says the smell coming up from the basement is among his major concerns, and works to keep it at bay by opening windows and burning incents. He was told to return on Friday after his temporary accommodations were ended.

“It just hits you: the stench. And it’s like that through the whole building,” he said.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the City of Ottawa confirms it will continue to provide temporary accommodations for residents who need it.

“The city recognizes that this has been an extremely difficult time for residents affected by the impacts of the July 1 extreme weather event, including residents of 30 McEwen Avenue,” the statement says.

“As residents begin returning to the building, the city recognizes that each household’s circumstances are different and continues to provide the option for temporary accommodations for residents who need them.”

“Residents who have concerns about returning to the building may remain in temporary accommodations. Those who choose to return home but later decide they need to return to emergency accommodations will be supported. City staff remain in close contact with the property manager, and accommodation arrangements will be reassessed next week as additional building services are restored.”

Latrielle says he has not been told about the option to return to temporary accommodation.

“I don’t believe (the building is) ready. They called us back too early,” he said.

Hotte says she is moving back into a hotel, but says she had to fight to get the new temporary accommodation.

“It’s scary almost. It almost feels like you’re living in like an apocalypse and like going into a very quiet building with no power,” said her daughter Gabriella Hotte.

Saickley also told residents in the letter that security guards are posted for fire watch until fire alarms and sprinkler systems can be fully restored. Fire crews could be seen on Saturday morning performing what was described as a routine fire watch inspection.

Rick Tombs lives on the 8^th floor and says he still does not have hot water. He’s one of the few who never vacated the building, but he doesn’t recommend it for everyone.

“If you’re comfortable where you are, folks, stay where you are,” he said.

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